Soil nitrogen relationships in spoil material generated by the surface mining of lignite coal
Three acid, surface-mined soils and an adjacent undisturbed soil were evaluated for nitrification potentials and nonexchangeable NH/sub 4//sup +/-N retention to better understand N mechanisms and improve the reclamation efficiency of these soils. The mined soils nitrified a maximum of only 7% of an added 100 ppM NH/sub 4//sup +/-N, although the undisturbed soil nitrified 93% of the applied N. Total N digestion showed one mined soil to have a nonexchangeable NH/sub 4//sup +/-N accounted for 73% of the total retention. Another procedure utilizing differences in exchangeable NHy+-N retention capacity of 6.2 meq/100g. Organically retained NH/sub 4//sup +/-N accounted for 73% of the total retention. Another procedure utilizing differences in exchangeable NH/sub 4//sup +/-N between moist and dried samples as estimates of nonexchangeable NH/sub 4//sup +/-N retention, showed retentive capacities of the mined soils ranging from 4.1 to 7.8 meq NH/sub 4//sup +/-N/100g. Lignite exhibited a retentive capacity of 46.0 meq NH/sub 4//sup +/-N/100g. Nonexchangeable retention was significantly correlated with the residual lignite content of the soil. Low nitrification potentials and large nonexchangeable NH/sub 4//sup +/-N retention capacities suggested that applied NH/sub 4//sup +/-N fertilizers might be inefficient in the mined soils.
- Research Organization:
- Texas A and M Univ., College Station
- OSTI ID:
- 5341630
- Journal Information:
- Soil Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Soil Sci.; (United States) Vol. 129:4; ISSN SOSCA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
510500* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMISTRY
COAL
COAL MINING
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FERTILIZERS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LIGNITE
MINING
NITROGEN CYCLE
NITROGEN FIXATION
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SPOIL BANKS
SURFACE MINING